OKC’s offseason may hinge on Jeremy Lamb

The draft is in 11 days. The free agency moratorium starts four days after that.

And while the Thunder have a lot of offseason questions to answer — like who to take with a lottery pick and what to do with Kevin Martin — I feel like those answers hinge on one player.

Ronnie Brewer. Er, I mean Jeremy Lamb.

Basically, it’s this: If the Thunder think Jeremy Lamb is the real deal, and more importantly think he’s ready, the Thunder don’t need Kevin Martin, and they should focus entirely on drafting big on the 27th.

Allow me to rehash: The James Harden trade, which is already being labeled as a disaster by many, wasn’t about Martin. Martin was merely a stopgap while Lamb seasoned (get it? you get it). The trade really was for Lamb and what’s now the No. 12 pick. The Thunder may choose to keep Martin, but it would take him giving OKC a significant discount. He’s 30 years old and not the best fit in the world.

So while some have prematurely rushed to judgement on the Thunder’s return on Harden, the reality is that we don’t know if OKC came out alright. Watch those highlights above, via Crab Dribbles — D-League, I realize — and tell me Lamb doesn’t have some incredible offensive ability. And depending on who has their name called 12th, the Thunder could wind up with two productive players, at two different positions, in exchange for Harden.

(Aside: Is that enough for a superstar like James Harden? Absolutely not, but you have to realize that Harden was essentially on an expiring deal. Which greatly decreases his trade value, because if a team wanted him, they know they could wait a season and just sign him to a max offer sheet and not give up anything. The hook for OKC was that dealing Harden before the Oct. 31 deadline increased the trade value a bit because a team could offer him a fifth year on the max extension. Anyway, that’s enough of the rehash. But people still don’t seem to understand the parameters of the Harden deal and why OKC got what it got.)

Sam Presti said this in his exit interview: “Jeremy is definitely someone that we feel really good about. I think he’s going to be a contributor to our team at some point in the near future (emphasis mine). How much and how soon, I think some of that will be determined this summer. We’ve, again, been afforded the opportunity to have a very promising young player on our team that hasn’t been put in to action so to speak at this time. But I think he’s used the year wisely. The summer will be a continuation of that. And we think he’s a player that can really grow. He’s 20 years old at the moment … so Jeremy’s best basketball is still in front of him.”

How much and how soon will be determined this summer. That’s it right there. And it could also domino a few other roster transactions too. One catch: Both Summer League and training camp are after the Thunder have to make their roster calls. So they’re going to have to make some choices based on what they think of Lamb now, and those choices could reveal a little of what they think about him.

For instance, if the Thunder don’t see Lamb as the long-term answer, as I’ve floated, they could aggressively pursue moving up for Victor Oladipo or Ben McLemore. Because the Thunder are hunting a young shooting guard. Thabo is 29 and will be on an expiring deal next season. After him, it’s DeAndre Liggins. And while I genuinely think think Liggins has a decent future ahead, he’s not the long-term answer they’re seeking.

Lamb was the Thunder’s third choice in a lot of ways. League sources have passed around that the Thunder targeted Klay Thompson first, then Bradley Beal. Lamb was a fit mostly because of the lottery pick, and the fact they got a veteran rental in Martin with it. The Thunder weren’t taking on any future salary commitments, they got an asset and they got a talented young player with upside.

So with Martin’s future in the balance, the Thunder have to ask themselves how much they trust Lamb. If that’s a zero, then maybe you re-sign Martin for another season (or two, with a team option on the second year). If they feel sort of good about Lamb, at least enough to work him moderately into the rotation, maybe you sign some other bench help that unlike Martin, isn’t going to be as much directly in his way.

The player I keep coming back to is J.J. Redick, who I think would be a splendid fit with the Thunder. Watching the impact Danny Green has had on the Finals, it’s obvious to me the Thunder are missing a knockdown veteran shooter that fits into a role and can play it between 15 and 35 minutes. And Redick’s not a one-dimensional player. He’s a better-than-you-think defender and has the ability to create and score a little. The Thunder should have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in their pocket and while there’s a very good chance Redick might get an $8 million offer on the open market, maybe he’d consider three years, $15 million from OKC to be on a contender.

Two other thoughts:

1) A very respected, highly intelligent writer told me in San Antonio he thinks Liggins could possibly grow into another Danny Green. I found that interesting, and can kind of see it.

2) Another fit would be Kyle Korver, but the problem there is he’s 32. Maybe a one-year deal, but players at 32 are looking for one last multi-year contract. Or, the Thunder could use their pick on that shooter — C.J. McCollum? — and go about it that way. I think some have stereotyped this idea of a “shooter” in the same way they spout of “post presence” but there’s more than just hiring a sharpshooter. Daequan Cook is a fantastic shooter, but he’s a one-dimensional one. You want a 3-and-D guy if possible and while Thabo shot 42 percent from 3 last season, he’s got a slow release and needs to be really open in order to take one.

But again, those ideas could get squashed if Lamb is headed for 30 minutes a night next season. And he might be. To be determined with Summer League and training camp. But the Thunder have to make decisions before both of those things happen, starting with the draft in 11 days. Which is my whole general point in this — Jeremy Lamb seems to hold the Thunder’s offseason in his hands.

Aside from Alex Len, I wouldn't trade Lamb for any player in this draft.

Lamb's proven himself in the D-League, which is probably better competition than the NCAA. Just about every guy in the D-League was the top player on their team in college. Lamb at age 20 looking this good against professionals is a better sign of future success than McLemore at the same age putting up 30 points against Kansas State.

If we could trade #12, #29 and Jeremy Lamb for Ben McLemore and then trade the future Dallas pick for Dallas' #13 and draft Steven Adams, then the Harden deal basically becomes: Harden for McLemore/Adams and the possibility of resigning K-Mart. I think that's our best case scenario as far as a return on Harden.

Hate the way the NBA is headed right now...packaging a coach and player in trade? Not that it's the first time...but look at what Dallas is trying to do. It's all about creating super teams and recruiting other max guys to join. Obviously we're in one of the better situations withour going this route with the way we have drafted, but it's horrible for fans

Former OKC highschooler Xavier Henry is going to be a free agent this offseason. I'd love to pick him up as a 3 and D Danny green type player. he also might make liggins slightly more expendable at the trade deadline

Gabriele Ferzetti looks uncomfortably like John Calipari in L'Avventura. I can't tell if Ferzetti's character Sandro is trying to unsuccessfully use sex to fill a void in his meaningless life of wealth, or if he wants to recruit Lea Massari to play at Kentucky.

So this year's list of players I think are going to be good (or at least better than their draft position) are: Burke, Schroeder, Giannis, Olynyk, Karasev, Mitchell, Nogueira, Canaan, Muscala, and Richard Howell. If we get one I'll be happy, if we get two I'll be ecstatic, and if we get 3 I'm going streaking.

Say you get 12 and 13. I don't think Adams is worth both of those picks (to try to move up to get him). Do you try to move up to get Odalipo or McLemore (packaging 12& 13) and then move up as high as you can again with 29 and 32 to try to get withey, Gobert, bebe etc?

You guys are funny. If had more than one account i'd like every single comment that I post.

But just because of some dumb crap that happen with a phone a few months back, people are actually creating accounts to set me up. Maybe I should really create fake accounts and like all of my comments.

I feel fairly comfortable that if Steven Adams is there at 12 that we will take him. I'm not sure he'll be there though. If he's not there I have no idea what we'll do. I am opposed to Dieng andPlumlee. I could live with KCP or Olynyk. I could also live with moving up to get McLemore or Noel if they start to fall. I feel like those 2 have the best chance of being elite players in this draft.

I'm also not opposed to moving back if Adams is gone. If we move back I'd like to see us get karasev and a big. I still like bebe, Gobert and withey all better than Plumlee and Dieng.

I have one account! Unless you guys thinks that i'm in a lab with fifty computers then I don't know how I can monitor multiple accounts and posting at the same time. Am not that good with computer, so i couldn't dare do that.

Note: Alt accounts and pretending to be another poster gets your IP banned. Keep it on the up and up people, please. If you've got alternates, I'd suggest picking your favorite and going with it, because I'm going to start hunting them down.

Just for the record: Oboy is Thunder for the win. It's funny how I always thought Oboy create that account to troll me. And as soon as I get this avi, Thunder Chick 2010 comes up. Oboy I know you buddy. Sad that DT won't believe. But it's true DT, Oboy is Thunder for the win fake account!

Trackbacks

[…] like McLemore is as close to those two as anyone in the draft. Of course there’s Jeremy Lamb, and what the Thunder think of him decides all of this anyway, and there are questions about McLemore’s focus and intensity, but he’s pure and smooth […]

[…] I thought this offseason would give us an indication of what the organization thought about Lamb. The moves they made, who they drafted, what they did would say one way or the other whether they thought he was prepared to contribute. And it seems that they think he is. […]

[…] Here’s what Royce Young of Daily Thunder said on the deal: “Allow me to rehash: The James Harden trade, which is already being labeled as a disaster by many, wasn’t about Martin. Martin was merely a stopgap while Lamb seasoned (get it? you get it). The trade really was for Lamb and what’s now the No. 12 pick. The Thunder may choose to keep Martin, but it would take him giving OKC a significant discount. He’s 30 years old and not the best fit in the world.” […]